Friday, December 9, 2016

Crusty

If you've ever stepped inside a Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop, you may have noticed an unsual fixture of the shop. 4 legs and a coat of armour. He sits quietly on a shelf, sometimes on the counter, just watching over things. He is a stuffed armadillo. And, his name is Crusty.

We're frequently asked about Crusty. Why an armadillo? In a pie shop?

Years ago, Crusty was a "gift" Scott received at our family's annual, white-elephant gift exchange. With no name - yet - or real usefulness as a stuffed South American mammal that simply didn't go with the decor of our East Tennessee home, this gag gift made its way to a box in the attic.

Fast forward to a day when Scott and I were rumaging through storage looking for old family heirlooms to add to the decor of a new pie shop we were soon planning to open. There, peeking out at us from the back corner of the attic was the gift - the armadillo. At first we both thought it was a rodent who'd made himself at home amongst our keepsakes, but we quickly recalled the day he was gifted to Scott and we had a good laugh together.

And, because he brought so much joy when we rediscovered him, recalling fond memories and family traditions, this cute little guy was affectionately named "Crusty" by our team at Buttermilk Sky who carefully considered his appearance and our house-made signature pie crusts in the naming process. He was placed on the shelf to watch over our new shop and has been there ever since.

Today, a replica of Crusty the armadillo, is presented to each new Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop owner upon opening and can be found somewhere in your local shop. Sorta like Crusty has cousins.

The next time you visit your favorite Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop see if you can spot Crusty. And, because you now know the story of how he came to be, we hope that when you do spot him, he'll now remind you of the importance of family and tradition.

We truly appreciate our Buttermilk Sky Pie fans and are thankful for each of you.

We hope your Christmas is filled with joy, laughter, family and tradition this year.